Hunting Fun

As a deer hunting beginner, you will want to plan for your hunt about a year in advance. This will give you plenty of time to locate your hunting area, learn some woodcraft, get to know your weapon and learn how to deer hunt.

Step 1: Find a Place to Hunt

If you already live in the country and have your own piece of hunting land, then this will be an easy step for you If you don’t own any land, the second best thing is befriending someone who does.

If you have any farming friends or co-workers that have access to private land, you can probably talk them into letting you hunt on their property. It might take some work to wrangle access to private land, but learning how to hunt deer will be easier and probably more enjoyable on private land.

If access to private land eludes you, you can still find a good place to hunt by researching public hunting land. Call your local office of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and let them know you’re a beginner looking for a good deer hunting areas in your county. They will let you know what public land is available and point you to the correct resources.

Step 2: Get some Good Maps

Go to your local outdoor store and get some topographic quadrangle maps of the areas you choose to hunt. Buy a compass and learn to use both of them. Don’t go very far into the woods until you are comfortable reading and using your map and compass.

When you feel ready, go scout the areas you plan to hunt. Scout during different seasons, wear blaze orange if hunting season is on. Mark any deer sign you find, water and food sources, and deer routes you notice on your map. Scout as often as you can, this will put you ahead of the crowd when your season rolls around.

Step 3: Decide on a Weapon

You need to decide whether you will be hunting with a rifle or a bow. In either case, you will need to visit a hunting outfitter or gun shop to be fitted for your weapon. Get to know it well and always follow safety procedures. Do not go into the woods with your weapon until you have mastered an adequate level of accuracy, for your sake and that of everything else in the forest.

You may want to purchase some camouflage clothing and comfortable boots. I would recommend a blaze orange based pattern, especially if you will be hunting public land.

Step 4: Get all Your Paperwork in Order

Take your hunter education class. Purchase your hunting license and tags. Learn the rules and regulations in your area and stay on the right side of the law.

Step 5: Go Hunting

As a beginner, the best strategy for you is to learn to sit quietly and observe. Set yourself up in a tree stand or on the ground with your back against a tree. Make sure the wind is in your face, and that you can oversee an promising area from your earlier scouting.

The more you learn, the more fun you have. Happy hunting!



By: Nick Moran

About the Author:

When looking for a plantation to quail hunt it is essential to find out what packages the quail hunting lodge offers. The sport of quail hunting has changed in the last decade or two. It was primarily a Gentleman’s sport for the few upscale hunters. The sport has now become a place where family and friends participate regularly. Some hunting preserves and plantations offer high end accommodations with chefs on staff that wait on you hand and foot.

Most quail hunters are more concerned with the dogs than they are the accommodations, as good hunting dogs are the key to a successful quail hunt. Most seasoned quail hunters will tell you that one of the main reasons they quail hunt is watching the dogs on point. A good pair of working dogs makes for an exciting hunting experience.

Another factor involved with a good quail hunt is the birds. Some plantations offer wild bird hunts and some raise their own quail. You will probably pay more for hunting wild birds then those that are raised. The jury is still out on wild and pen raised birds, of course hunting a wild quail is a great challenge and they are known to take flight and fly better than pen raised birds, however a good breeder of quail will argue the point that pen raised birds can be just as challenging upon taking flight.

When going out into the field, like every hunting trip, you will need the right equipment. The most common shotgun used is an over and under with the popular gauge being the twenty gauge. The sky is the limit on shotguns for wing shooting of any kind from a couple of hundred dollars to over twenty five thousand for really high end custom guns. While in the field you will also need the proper clothing such as a safety orange vest and some pants that are briar proof, and in some cases when the season is warmer than normal some snake chaps. One of the most important things is hunter safety as well as the safety of the hunting dogs. When you book a hunt with a good outfitter they should go over some safety tips on hunting quail to make your quail hunting experience a safe and memorable one.

By: Wayne Gilbert

About the Author:

With there being endless black bear hunting outfitters to choose from, the task of selecting the right outfitter can prove to be difficult.